Telephonic call distributor systems having message recording capability to receive and store messages from incoming calls where an agent is not promptly available are known. In such systems, the caller can be given an option to leave a message that might include a telephone number if that call cannot be responded to in a timely fashion. For example, LaVallee et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,236 entitled “Automatic Call Returning Method for Call Distributor with Message Record Capability” issued Jan. 19, 1993, assigned to the assignee hereof, discloses systems and methods where voice messages left in queues can be automatically forwarded to one or more agents for callback when the respective agent becomes available. The '236 patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Such call distributions may be, but are not limited to, hardware and/or software systems with many possible configurations including distributed systems, integrated systems, systems based on one or more personal computers or servers and the like. This system may handle traditional telephone calls as well as other tips of “calls” or customer contacts including, but not limited to, facsimile, e-mail, Internet communications such as web chat, and VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol).
While useful and effective for its intended purpose, known systems such as LaVallee et al. do not address fault conditions where resources are unavailable for handling one or more scheduled callbacks. This can lead to both customer dissatisfaction as well as lost sales.
The issue of scheduled callbacks and the need to be able to respond thereto in a timely fashion is illustrated in Dezonno U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,356 B1 issued Sep. 10, 2002 entitled “Method of Multi-Media Transaction Processing,” and, Dezonno et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,899 B2 issued Sep. 16, 2003 entitled “Method and System for Establishing Voice Communications Using a Computer Network.” Both Dezonno and Dezonno et al. are assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated by reference. Both Dezonno and Dezonno et al. contemplate circumstances wherein customers or telephone users might enter requests for callbacks at specific days and times.
In Dezonno, customers may communicate with the disclosed call distributor system via the Internet or by email. Fields can be provided where the caller can enter a telephone number for a callback.
In Dezonno et al. the user can request a callback to a specific number at a designated time using a computer and a graphical user interface. The systems and methods of Dezonno and Dezonno et al. can be expected to result in an increase in requested callbacks at specific dates and/or times.
Customers' satisfaction in such circumstances is more likely than not to be achieved if the requested call back arrives at the designated day and time. Failures to place the requested callback at the specific day and time can occur where the respective call distributor system has more real time demands made on it than its resources are capable of responding to. For example, all agents may be busy and not available at the designated day and time that the callback is requested. Such circumstances can occur due to unexpected increases in incoming call volume, scheduling, availability of agents, or environmental problems such as weather.
There continues to be a need for systems and methods which will facilitate or provide callbacks notwithstanding the presence of a fault condition. It would be desirable if such enhanced capability could be cost effective incorporated into existing call distributor systems which provide for callbacks to customers.